1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to multiple device control and convergence that includes cable-enabled devices, and more particularly to multiple device addressing, discovery, description, control, eventing, and convergence in a Web Service environment, and control through an input device such as a set-top box and other cable-enabled devices.
2. Related Art
Household, academic and/or business spaces now more commonly have more than one audio or video device such as CD/DVD player, portable MP3 player, tuner, preamp, power amp, speakers, VCR, DVR, computers running media players or connected to some other source of audio or video (e.g., Internet radio, satellite radio and the like), set top boxes (STB), etc. Typically, a CD/DVD player from one company comes with its own remote control and an amplifier by an entirely different company comes with its own remote control. The same space may have a PC with its keyboard and mouse, and yet another company's portable MP3 player with its own control switches. The same space may include cable-enabled devices such as set top boxes providing television signals and the like. While each audio/video device is doing precisely what it was designed to do, each operates completely independent from the others with the possible exception of the portable MP3 player that may be connected to a PC for synchronization. As a result, a user ends up going from one keypad to another or juggling a series of remote controls in order to control the devices.
Since these audio/video and similar devices are not designed to communicate with each other or their communication is very limited, access to these audio/video devices is limited by their physical locations. For example, it is difficult to play an MP3 file saved in a PC hard disk drive in one room or area (a child's bedroom) on speakers located in another room or area (an entertainment room). Thus, in order for a user to enjoy music of his or her choice whenever and wherever he or she wants, each room needs to be equipped with all the necessary audio/video equipment and digital audio/video content.
Also, the audio/video devices are not designed to communicate with other devices (e.g., TV, lighting, security system, etc.). Thus, it is difficult, if not impossible, to converge the devices for common control for certain occasions. For example, in order to watch a movie, the user must turn on a TV, a STB and an audio amplifier by using three different remote controls. Then the user must set the TV to receive a video signal from the STB, set the audio amplifier to receive an audio signal from the STB and use another control unit to adjust the lighting of the room. Even when a user utilizes a universal remote, as is known in the art, the result is a plurality of devices that are separately operated and are operated separately from a single universal remote. These devices do not converge as described above because the devices lack any ability to easily connect and effectively communicate with each other, and be controlled by a single input device.
Accordingly, there is a need for a solution for the aforementioned accessibility, connectability and convergence issues to allow devices to connect, communicate and be controlled.